FORMER Peoples National Congress (PNC), Executive Member, Joseph Hamilton, who is now in the fold of the Peoples Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C), last evening, in his presentation to the 2013 Budget Debate, reminded the House that for the first time in Guyana’s history, persons from any part of the country can access health care.

Hamilton railed at comments made by shadow Health Minister, Dr George Norton, calling his presentation to the debate a disappointment and suggested that as a legislator, he should have instead been seeking to make a contribution on how to better transform the health sector.
He said Dr Norton instead sought to complain to the House about plumbing problems such as defective sinks at the hospital.
According to Hamilton, with 353 facilities falling under the ambit of the ministry, there are bound to be plumbing problems, and he said that “he (Dr Norton) is a legislator and must come and speak to the issues of the development of the health sector, not regal us about toilet and sinks and plumbing problems.”
In illustrating his point further, Hamilton turned to the Holy Bible with reference to Methuselah and Jesus.
He said that there is but one record of Methuselah in the Bible, which stated that he lived for 999 years and has since been forgotten, while Jesus who lived for 32 years is to this date still remembered and celebrated.
Hamilton told the House that the point he was trying to make is that longevity means nothing, but rather the contributions that are made.
The former PNC member was speaking to Dr Norton’s more than 30 years in the profession.
“When you hear members speak, they give the gloom and doom of the health sector, the fact is every day tens of thousands of citizens journey to the public health sector and are serviced by Guyanese doctors and nurses.”
According to Hamilton, this is the situation “because they have the confidence in the health sector.”
Hamilton, in pointing to the soundness of the nation’s health sector, pointed to the recent incident where General Secretary of the PNC, Oscar Clarke, was shot during a home invasion.
According to Hamilton, Clarke was rushed to a private medical institution, but within 24 hours had been transferred to the public institution.
This, he said, was testimony to the fact that Clarke and his family had confidence in the public health sector.
He drew reference also to the incident involving Chairman of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes, who had suffered a heart attack while in the Marudi Mountains.
According to Hamilton, his treatment from the time of the incident, from his being taken to Aishalton, being flown out to Ogle, his stay at the Caribbean Heart Institute and his transport to Timehri, all occurred while in the care of the public health system.